So. Yeah.

Sequel. This was MickieHime26's idea, really. She said that perhaps I should have a sequel from Wally's point of view. I thought about it, realized we never really knew the conclusion to Wally's feelings, and so! I wrote this.

Basically, it's the Art of Being Human with a Wally twist. Still sad.

Enjoy and I appreciate all the reviews I have gotten thus far!

Disclaimer: Not mine, at all, even a little bit.

Wally was a happy boy. He always had been. But being on the team made him the happiest person alive. At least, he thought so, until they got a new teammate. Wally hadn't known he could get any happier.

"Team, this is Robin."

—

Robin was a little strange, if Wally had to say so (but that was not to say he wasn't nice). For starters, he had an interesting laugh that Wally was sure made bad guys shiver in terror. And he always wore sunglasses. And when the team did M'gaan's fancy mind-meld thing, Robin's thoughts weren't there. M'gaan said it was because he had really tough mental barriers. Robin concurred wholeheartedly. ("Very tough," he'd said.)

It didn't take long for Wally to forget about that, because Robin was cute (actually, it was more like smokin'). The boy's smile was to die for, his physique was impeccable.

And he was really good at videogames.

(But, of course, there was the stipulation that Wally was not gay.)

—

Whether he was gay or not was really a technicality anyway, because his brain (and his heart) didn't seem to care all that much. Because he got butterflies and bashful around the Teen Wonder, even though he was sure (absolutely positive) that he liked girls.

"Hey, Wally, do you wanna hang out or something?"

If Wally had disregarded the filter between his mouth and his mind he would have said that was a stupid question. But the filter was working, so he decided against it.

"Dude, totally." He wouldn't trade anything for his Robin-time, that was for sure.

(But. He wasn't —)

—

That was it. Final verdict. Wally was in love with a boy.

And he didn't know how to go about telling Robin so.

(Well. It didn't really matter. He'd figure something out.)

Though, he hadn't really intended to just outright kiss the boy. Especially not in the hallway where any of their teammates could see. What – what if Robin wasn't gay? But Wally's brain didn't care because his lips felt oh-so-good against Robin's and he only managed to control himself was he stepped back for air.

"Dude –" Robin said, blinking, but Wally just leaned down and kissed him again.

This time, Robin wrapped his arms around Wally and just relished in the feeling.

(Score.)

—

Wally didn't understand what he was seeing.

He could tell most of the others didn't either.

Robin just... Robin just destroyed a monster that only Superboy could have lifted and... and his skin was coming off and...

And there was metal underneath that flesh.

(Wally felt like he was about to hurl.)

Ohgod I made out with a – a –

Wally stood on shaky legs and ran himself back to Mount Justice.

(It was awful. He was in love with a machine.)

He felt disgusting.

—

"Robin –" M'gaan murmured to everyone in the living room. "Robin isn't coming back." Wally fought the urge to say good riddance. And failed. The words slipped out of his lips anyway.

"Who would want a freak like that –"

Suddenly, M'gaan's telepathy was pressed against his mouth and she looked angry.

"As I was saying. Robin isn't coming back." She took a deep breath. "And I'm ashamed at all of you for letting it happen." She let Wally go, leaving him rubbing at his jaw while she went to the kitchen. Kaldur looked up at the ceiling, released a sigh, and left as well.

Wally's stomach churned.

(He decided he didn't need dinner today anyway.)

—

Wally was in pain. And he imagined Kaldur was in pain too. (The others were lucky. They wouldn't be in anymore pain until they woke up.)

Wally didn't understand. The entrances to Mount Justice were set to recognize pre-programed people. Nothing in this raid made sense and his brain was muddled with pain and exhaustion.

Robin, Teen Wonder, leapt over the sofa (how long had he been there) and stood between himself, Kaldur, and the team of teen-battering baddies. Robin looked over his shoulder. "I'd run. Were I you." His voice was quiet and if Wally could rewind things, he could think that the kid was human.

(But he seemed so – he was practically...!)

"I'm ashamed at all of you."

Robin was human. Perhaps not in the conventional way –

Wally picked up Artemis and M'gaan while Kaldur got Superboy (because that guy was built like a tank).

"See you back in the Bat hideout?" Wally asked, his voice a whisper. (Jesus, those bad guys were lazy if they were letting them just stand there. But, then, maybe the point was destruction and not elimination.) An annoying beeping was one of the only sounds. One of the bad guys rolled his eyes at the moment.

Robin's eyes met his and Wally was smacked in the face.

(He was such an asshole, oh my god –)

He was in love with the best person on the planet how on earth could he have been so stupid – Robinrobinrobin please oh please forgive –

And Robin smiled, the skin around his mask crinkling. A perfectly beautiful human smile.

"Sure."

Wally could ask for forgiveness when Robin returned. Nothing could destroy that kid. So Kaldur and Wally beamed themselves to the Batcave, lying their friends on the floor as Batman gave them the look that said "You should have called the League or something."

(Hurry up Robin so you can forgive me –)

—

Batman looked heartbroken.

Wally felt heartbroken.

M'gaan was covering her mouth with one hand as tears streamed down her face. Her grief was palpable.

Robin was...

There were metal bits scattered around the completely demolished living room. More metal bits found hiding places deep in the bodies of the destroyers of their home. Wally knew exactly where those metal bits had come from, because Robin wasn't anywhere to be found.

(The beeping had been a bomb. A Robin bomb. How could Wally have missed –)

That was when Wally found the voice box. Beaten and chipped, sure, but mostly intact. (He was lucky he hadn't found the Teen Wonder's head, he supposed. He didn't know what he would have done.) And the voice box was still murmuring as he picked it up.

"Wally—Wally—Please... sorry, I'm... sorry... Wally, Wally..."

He didn't know a voice box could create words without the central brain to make it work which meant...

Robin had recorded himself.

"Wally, Wally —"

He trembled. And then he sobbed.

(Robin, no, please, no, Robin, no —)